Toki Tori 2Review

Toki Tori 2 has finally arrived on the Wii U eShop – and for fans of adorable settings and satisfying puzzle gameplay, it was well worth the wait. With delightful graphics and remarkably simple controls, Toki Tori 2 succeeds at providing a content-rich, charming experience, and is easily among the best this new console’s digital shop has to offer.

Exit Theatre Mode

One of the most impressive things about Toki Tori 2 is the way it teaches its mechanics without the use of tutorials – in fact, other than the title, there isn’t a single word of text in the entire game. All you know is that you’re a baby chick, and that weird, evil-looking oil has suddenly started spewing up from the ground, which for some reason means you need to collect golden artifacts and activate a series of statues to make things right. The simple-yet-adorable story is more than sufficient, and while the lack of guidance could theoretically have resulted in a muddled, hard-to-follow experience, the absence of hand-holding is instead remarkably refreshing. It allows for a true sense of discovery, creating a world where it’s up to the player to use their imagination and explore in order to figure out how everything works and how to progress.

That said, there are certainly times when some text would have been appreciated – especially considering the game’s design and incredibly slow pace will undoubtedly appeal to a younger audience. The user interface is simply not as clear as it probably should be for a game relying solely on players' intuition to figure things out. As a whole, though, the gamble of withholding the written word paid off, and is a unique feature that definitely sets Toki Tori 2 apart from the puzzle pack.

It works because the actual gameplay is quite simple. All you do is move left and right, scuttle up and down ladders, and press one button to stomp and another to whistle. All puzzles are built around these mechanics, requiring Toki Tori (the titular baby chick), to use some combination of them to interact with the creatures around him. Stomp to make a bug fall near a frog, and the frog will eat it and burp a bubble, which you can then travel in. Whistle to jump back to your last checkpoint – assuming you’ve figured out the special melody required to do so. Stomp to scare a lightning bug towards a dungeon-dwelling mask to make it shrivel onto the ground so you can pass. For how little you can actually *do* in this game, it’s astounding how many different ways you can manipulate your surroundings.

One downside to these intentionally limited controls is that puzzle solutions are easy to come across accidentally. If you’re stuck, you can often just stomp or whistle around for a bit until the solution just sort of… happens. This doesn’t mean you won’t find yourself challenged – especially in later levels, Toki Tori 2 finds a satisfying difficulty level that should keep you on your toes. But it does mean it sometimes feels like you just happened upon the solution through random experimenting rather than your own cleverness.

Cuteness... overload...

The world, separated into dozens of levels to work your way through, is quite vast and a true joy to explore. The graphics are absolutely stunning, bringing this bright and beautiful world to life either on your television screen or when playing offscreen on the Wii U GamePad. From vibrant meadows to dark and gloomy caves to stunning vistas cast in silhouette (a la Donkey Kong Country Returns), it’s an absolute visual treat.

Everything in the world is technically solvable from the outset, lending a cool “Metroidvania” vibe to the whole affair. Unlike the Game Boy Color original (or most Metroidvania-style games), there are no items or upgrades to acquire, rather it’s a gradual acquisition of knowledge and understanding that aids you in your backtracking endeavors. There may be a collectible you’ve been eyeing in one of the earlier levels, but it’s not until much later that it suddenly clicks how to access it. Toki Tori 2 is full of these satisfying “Aha!” moments, which are the crux of any puzzle game worth its salt.

The Verdict

Toki Tori 2’s incredibly slow pace and lack of any true action make it an experience that is definitely not for everyone - but kids, puzzle lovers, and fans of all things adorable are in for a truly delightful and well-crafted experience. While simple, it controls beautifully, and the sense of exploration is absolutely incredible. If you’re ready to settle in for a leisurely stroll in a gorgeous and puzzling world, this charming download is a fine investment.